Unit element for the packing of fruits, early products, fragile objects, and the like, and process of manufacture of the same



March 10, 1931. s. MERTENS 1,795,783

UNIT ELEMENT FOR THE PACKING 0F FRUITS. EARLY PRODUCTS, FRAGILE OBJECTS,

AND THE LIKE, AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME Filed Oct. 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEA/TOE fii'ella Mei'ie'kcd.

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Marchvlo. 1931. I s. MERTENS ,7 UNIT ELEMENT FOR THE PACKING OF FRUITS, EARLY PRODUCTS} FRAGILE OBJECTS,

AND THE LIKE, AND PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME Filed Oct. 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNIT ELEMENT FOR PAGKIN The present invention has for its object a unit packing element adapted to rece ve and protect all objects and chiefly those whlch Patented Mar. 10, 1931 FUNITED stares 1 TELLA MERTENS, or PARIS, nuance:

- or FRUITS, EARLY rnonoors, FRAGILE OBJECTS.

, AND THE LIKE, AND PROCESS or MANUFAGT-URE'Q THE SAME i Application filed ctober 12 1928, Serial No. 312,161 and in France August 6,1928;

.are' extremely fragile or perishable, such as at} fruits, early fruits or vegetables, glassware,

or the like, Zcharacterized in thatit consists of a series of contiguous recesses which are secured together and the deformable walls, whose thickness. and nature of which are suited to the packed object,:conform to the direct handling or contact; of each object,

which is ofgreat importance in the case of fruits and the'like.

The invention. further relates to the manufacture of the aforesaid packingelement whichjconsists in principle in forming, by means of bands of equal widthand of suitable nature, thickness, and colour, and placed together in pairs, a composite folded device of accordion orrbellows characteristics; 1n

straightening the object. obtained by such I folding; and in compressing it on it'slateral sition, sewing, pasting, orthe like,- of such ridges, so that it will assume :theform of a series of cells or .pockets'which are flexible and contiguouspand" whose base/is then closed by pasting, sewingfor by like means. Theinvention furtherrelates, in-addition -to the use of all suitable Substances for the 'manufacture of the packing el'ementfabove mentioned, to all combinations.byjuxtapounit elementsjin any suitablenumber, so as toform single,'double or multiple plates of various forms and dimensions; which are compressible and extensible, and be used for the packing of all products and for the filling of all cases, boxes; and display Figures 2, 3, 4- and '5'. are similar views showing successive steps in the. development ofthe unit, the arrows at, b, c, d indicating the direction in whichthe successive folds are made. a 7 f I Figure 6 shows the accordion formation obtained by the steps illustrated in vFigures 2 to 5, the accordion-like element being'uiifolded. v

Figure 7 Shows the manner in which the cells of the accordion are straightened and their open sides brought'into the same plane;

Figure 8 shows in perspective, theelement 1 resulting from themanipulation illustrated in the preceding figures. a

tively in elevation andin plan.

Figures 9'and 10 showthe element respec- Figure 11 is a view of a plate formed by a series of assembled cellular units,

Figure 12 represents a particular manner of assembling units whereby double ends of the units may be usedj fi n Figure 13 is a detail sectional view of a, band or strip suitable' forthe formation of the units. a v

In carrying out the invention, two bands offlexible material suitable'for cushioning theiobjec'ts to be packed aresecured firmly together at-one end with thestrips disposed at a right angle to each other and the endsoverlapping, as seen in Figure 1,. the extreiniti'es of the bands or strips being 'iinited by pasting, sewing or'otherwise. The strip 2 is next folded over across the strip 1 andthe strip lthen folded" over across the strip 2, ,thesefolds being repeated 'untilthe entire length of the strips has been folded in an accordion formation as Wlll be understood upon reference to'Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6- "After the entire strips'have been thus folded v alternately one upon the other, a pull is ex erted upon the ends of the unit thus pr0'- duced,' and the unit then presents a series of contiguous cells disposed helicoidally. 'The several cells are; then submitted to lateral pressure upon their opposite ridges so that the tops 3 and 4 of each cell will be disposed in the same'plane with the tops 5 and 6 and portions 7 and 8 will be lapped and extend obliquely relative to themedial lines of'the strips or bands, the action impartinga torsional movement of ninety degrees to each of the cells relative to the cell immediately preceding it, so that the resulting structure is a series of connected cells having four sides and four angles and opening all at one side of the strip or band. The cells are completed by fastening the edges of the interlaced strips along the bottom or that side of the unit opposite the open sides or tops of the cells. ,A series of such cells having a determined length will thus form a packing element 9 whose dimensions may be as desired for use for any particular purpose.

The invention further relates to all the combinations of unit elements as above specified, for the obtainment of composite devices, plates or the like (Fig. 11) formed by the juxtaposition of unit elements 9, these being joined by pasting or by like means.

The said units when joined together in pairs (Fig. 12) by means of a single or double seam, by pasting, or by like means, form a modified construction according to the invention, permitting the obtainment of a double unit element, and to set out a series of elements or plates whose lower face serves to cover the preceding, whilst the upper part serves as a receptacle and support for the fragile objects to be packed or exhibited.

The formation of the bands is covered by the invention. For this purpose, the single or multiple bands preferably comprise two paper walls 19 and 20, of a flexible and strong nature, between which is interposed a cushion 21 of suitable material for absorbing the sllipcks such as wadding, cotton,.tow, or the li e.

The bands 1 may also consist of braids or tresses of widely varying material adapted fordifferentcases of packing, without de parting from the principle of the invention, which chiefly relates to the use, in'the aforesaidpacking method, of the following substances: cotton in the. form of yarn, cloth,

braids, knitting goods, or the like, or wool,

V tow,flock, cellulose, wood fibre, paper fibre and the like, paper and pastboard, various pastes, wadding, kapok, peat fibre, stems and braids of textile or other fibres, fibres'and straw of the cocoa or other plants, dried sea weed, or'like material suitable for the manufacture of strong and soft bands which are adapted, after the manufacture of the said 1" unit elements, to contain, protect and display the fragile or other goods which are to be packed and handled.

For this purpose, the bands and the material used in their manufacture may be 001- perfumery or other liquids, pharmaceutical products and all objects of artor goldsmiths work.

Due to its process of manufacture, the new product asab'ove specified, will offer numerous advantages, and chiefly from the fact that the recesses of the unit packing elements are flexible and extensible, and will coincide with the form and to a certain degree with the dimensions of the object which they contain. They protect'the said object by the thickness and the softness of their walls.

The multiple units thus obtained by juxtaposition will permit the handling without touching them, of all objects which might be damaged by contact, such as peaches, high class or luxury fruits, and these may be preserved for a long time in their original state of freshness. The bands may be given insulating or preserving qualities by a preliminary impregnation, Which will fit them for the preservation of substances sensitive to heat or cold, pharmaceutical products, or the like.

Obvio-usly,'the aforesaid dispositions are given solely by way of example, and the forms, material, "and dimensions of the constructional parts as well as the details may be modified without departing from the principal of theinvention.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a packing element which consists in fastening two connected strips of materials at one end at a right angle to each other, folding the strips each upon the other alternately, stretching the folded strips longitudinally, and uniting the longitudinal edges of the strips at one side of theconnectedcelement.

2. The method of forming a packingele-- ment which consists in placing two flexible strips of equal size perpendicularly to'each other, folding the strips alternately one across the other, stretching the foldedstrips longitudinally to produce a helicoid'al series of contiguous cells, applying lateral pressure to the cells at opposite sides and simultaneously twisting the cells to bring their tops into one plane, and uniting the strips at the bottom of the cells.

' 3. A packing element consisting of two elongated interfolded strips forming a connected series of cells all opening along one side of the element, the component interfolded strips being fastened together along the opposite side of the element.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

STELLA MERTENS. 

